Cantor to block immigration on NDAA

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor won’t allow attempts next week to include a measure on a must-pass defense policy bill that would legalize young undocumented immigrants who serve in the military.

A spokesman confirmed Friday that the legislation, known as the Enlist Act, will not be among those debated with the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that sets policy for the Pentagon. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), the Enlist Act’s chief sponsor, had pledged to bring it up as part of the floor battle over the defense bill.

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“No proposed ENLIST amendments to NDAA will be made in order,” a Cantor spokesman, Doug Heye, said in an e-mail Friday. He did not elaborate immediately on the reasons.

Conservative organizations such as Heritage Action and the Madison Project had come out in furious opposition to the measure, which would allow green cards to be issued to young undocumented immigrants who serve in the Armed Forces. Opponents of the measure argue that doing so would be considered amnesty to immigrants living here illegally, and also believe that a must-pass bill such as the NDAA shouldn’t get tangled up with controversial topics such as immigration.

Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican who sets the chamber’s floor schedule, is also facing a primary challenge from Dave Brat, who has criticized him over the issue of immigration.

Backers of the bill say the nation should allow immigrants – even if they are here unlawfully – to gain legal status if they are willing to die for the country through military service.

A spokeswoman for Denham did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.

Democratic senators, including Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, have also mulled including a similar provision in their version of the NDAA. But Levin seemed to signal some uncertainty this week that an immigration provision in the NDAA would proceed, telling reporters: “There’s some question as to whether this is the time for it to be offered.”